A Novel Approach of Pericardial Suspension Method Combined with Tracheobronchial Stent Placement: A Life-Saving Case for Right Main Bronchial Stenosis.

INTRODUCTION

There is no consensus regarding surgery and endotracheal treatment for bronchial stenosis. We report a case of right main bronchus stenosis treated using a novel approach of mediastinal mobilization with pericardial suspension.

CASE PRESENTATION: A 57-year-old woman who developed radiation pneumonitis after postoperative radiation therapy for left breast cancer was admitted to our hospital due to worsening respiratory distress over 2 years. Chest CT revealed severe stenosis of the right main bronchus owing to lung destruction and scoliosis. Although isolated lung ventilation using a double-lumen tube was initiated, the ventilation was unstable. The patient underwent surgery, including sternal elevation using the Nuss technique, mediastinal mobilization using pericardial suspension, and tracheobronchial stenting to ameliorate bronchial stenosis.

CONCLUSIONS

After surgery, oxygenation was no longer required. This novel pericardial suspension technique fundamentally corrects the extrinsic mediastinal shift, serving as an essential prerequisite for safe stenting against secondary tracheobronchomalacia in adult cases.